Apparatus for drying fruit.



T. W. W. FORREST.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I. 1918 1,275,547. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET l. 4

W1 TNESS: I I A N VENTOR.

1W. W. FORREST.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING FRUIT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1918i Patented Aug; 13, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. i AM W1 TNESS: 1 VENTOR 0-, 7" .4. Zfl WW BY A TTOR NE YS.

Patented Aug; 13, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

1N VFNZ BY ATTORNEYS.

T. W. W. FORREST.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING FRUIT. APPLICATION FILED APR. I. 1918.

WITNESS:

Fro.

THOMAS W. W. FORREST, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING- FRUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application filed April 1, 1918. Serial No. 225,879.

- for Drying Fruit, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a continuous automatic apparatus for drying of material, particularly fruits. The one illustrated is adapted more particularly for the drying of raisins prior to the seeding of the same.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a drier of the closed type having valve controlled inlet and discharge openings, and provided with means for maintaining a vacuum therein, whereby the material as conveyed from the feed to the dis charge opening is subjected to a high degree of heat 'under vacuum, whereby the moisture therein is more readily evaporated than by the use of the apparatuses for this purpose now in universal use.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, Wherein Figures 1 and 1 disclose a longitudina sectional view of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view. taken online 2-2. of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the preferred form ofconveyer belt, illustrating the agitator and supporting rolls cooperating therewith.

Fig. 4 is a view in plan of a portion of the conveyer belt.

Referring more particularly to the several views of the drawings, wherein like characters of reference, designate corresponding parts, 1 indicates a cylindrical shell or housing closed at its ends by the end plates 2 and 3, the end plate 3 being preferably removable to admit access to be had to the interior of the cylindrical shell or housing. The shell or housing is provided at one end with the feed pipes 1 which communicate with the interior thereof and said feed pipes are controlled by the slide gates 5 alternately operated by the lever 6 fulcrumed to a support as at 7, and connected as at 8 to the ends of said gates, this construction permitting the admittance of intermittent charges of material through the feed pipes into the interior of the shell or housing.

A like construction is provided at the opposite end of the shell or housing and constitutes a discharge for the dried material, the same consisting of a pair of outlet pipes 9 extending from the interior of the shell or housing and the discharge of material therefrom being controlled by the slidable gates 10 alternately operated by a lever 11 ful- 'crumed as at 12 to a support. A conical dispreventing the clogging of the dried material at the point of inlet of said discharge pipes.

The shell or housing 1 is formed at opposite sides of its interior surface with longitudinally disposed supporting rails 14 on which rest the wheels 15 carried by a suitable frame 16 substantially rectangular in cross section, said frame being insertible into the shell or housing through the end closed by the end plate 3.

The frame 16 is adapted to'support the conveyer mechanism, the heating coils, the bafiieplates and the operating devices for the conveyors, and is formed with the vertical members 17 connected by the horizontal connecting members 18, and certain of said members 17 adjacent the ends of said frame support, the rotatable rolls 19 having at opposite ends sprockets 20 and around said rolls 19 extend the endless conveyer 21, preferably of open mesh material formed by interlaced coils, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

Connected to the opposite edge of the conveyer are the supporting chains 22 of the link type, which pass over the sprockets porting rolls 19 of the lowermost 20. The c'onveyers are preferably, as illustrated in the drawings, three in number, and the upper flight of the respective conveyers are supported intermediate the rolls 19 by the agitating and supporting rolls 28 carrying on their surface radially disposed pins 24 which are adapted to project upwardly through the mesh of the conveyer and agitate the material received on the upper surface thereof. Said conveyors are adapted to operate in opposite directions and the material received on the uppermost conveyer is adapted for delivery to the uppermost surface of the conveyer immediately below the ame, which in turn deposits the material on the lowermost conveyor, which in turn discharges the material into the hopper l3, and to accomplish this result, the receiving end of the intermediate conveyer projects beyond the discharge end of the uppermost conveyer, and the receiving end ofthe lowermost conveyor projects beyond the discharge end of the intermediate conveyor.

A frame 25 is carried at one end of the frame 16, and said frame supports an electrical motor 28 adapted to be operated through a plug connection 27 extending to a point exteriorly of the shell or housing 1,"-

and from the drive shaft of said motor extends a chain 28 operating a sprocket 29 carried by one of the rolls 19 of the upper most conveyer, driving said conveyor in the direction of the arrowl ig. l of the drawings. From a sorocketon said driven roll 19 extends a flexible driving connection 30 connecting with one of the supporting rolls 19 of the intermediate conveyor to operate said conveyer in the direction of the arrowas in Fi of the drawings and from said driven roll 19 there is also extended a flexible driving connection 31 passing over sprocket 52 on one of the supconveyer, of the arno the same in the direction 1 of the orawings.

Jeyers separated disposed battle plates mately the full length of the side walls of said conveyers 1ne said battles are preferably inclosed i the members or on conveyor of it Wlii be apparent that ea the series is inclosed in a housi at its opposite and exten proii'imately the full length of tive 'coz'iveyers. Positioned within said housings, at a point above and below the upper light of each conveyor, are the heating coils 35, each supplied with a heating medium, preferably steam, through a valve controlled pipe 36 extending exteriorly of the shell or housing 1 the pipes 36 being connected to their respective coils by any of the Well known connections permitting a separation of the coils and pipes by the movement of the coils from the same. Thus the material as conveyed in successive different horizontal planes longitudinally of the conveyer is subjected to heat for the evaporation of the moisture therein.

Carried by the frame 16 immediately below the feed pipes at is a downwardly inclined shaking table 37 supported by links 38 and operated in any suitable manner by an arm 39 connected at one end to the table and at its opposite end to a ring 40 carried by a cam 41 which is rotated through a connection 42 driven from the driving roll 19 of the intermediate conveyer. Thus it will be apparent that the material intermittently fed into the shell or housing 1 through the feed pipes 4 will be received on the table 37 and be gradually deposited on the upper flight of the uppermost conveyer 21.

Communicating with the interior of the shell or housing 1 preferably at the base thereof, is a pipe 43, connected with a suitable pump or other means 4d of suflicient capacity to create a vacuum within said shell or housing 1, and to withdraw from the interior thereof during the creation of said vacuum, the moisture evaporated from the material during the drying thereof.

The device the following manner. The intermittently fed into the shell o i 1 through the feed pipes t is receiven on hing table 37 and is deposited by movement thereof in a thin layer the upper surface of the upper flight upper conveyor, and due to the movement of the conveyor, is carried through the hous surrounding the same and hetwee reating coils 35 therein, said mater agitated during its travel by 2tprojecting upwardly through s mesh conveyer and is discharged discharge end of said upper con r to receiving end of nveyer, which carries it er surrounding said indeposits same t and of lowermost i turn, discharges it into i n which it is reieased in es through the discharge 1 A 4 9116 liii onto the T eonvever lIllLQEilll pipe -eration the slidable gates 10.,

By a ation or neat the conveyed material w the same-is maintained in agitation a vacuum, the moisture contained with n the material is rapidly evaporated thererrein thereby enabling the ma terial to be uickly dried and providing an apparatus of comparatively small dimen sions which is capable of treating a comparatively large quantity of material. within a short period. llhe member i for creating a vacuum within the shell or housing 1 is of such capacity as to overcome the air leakage admitted through the feeding and discharge of the material thereto, whereby the vacuum is maintained at an even pressure within said shell or housing.

It will be apparent that I have provided an apparatus wherein'the conveyers, heating coils and conveyer operating mechanism is capable of withdrawal from or insertion into the shell or housing as a unit, as said elements are all carried by the frame 16 which is supported on the track 14 and is capable of removal through the end of the shell or housing, closed by the removable end plate 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A drier comprising a closed shell provided with valve controlled material feed and outlet passages, means for maintaining a vacuum within said shell, a longitudinally disposed conveyer for receiving the material to be treated and for conveylng the same therein from the feed to the outlet passage, means for agitating the material as transported on said conveyer, bafiie plates providing a chamber through which said conveyer passes, and heating members within sa d chamber for heating the material to dry the same as transported in said conveyer under vacuum.

-2. A drier comprising a closed shell provided with valve controlled material feed and discharge passages, means for maintaining a vacuum within said shell, an endless conveyer within said shell, bafile plates within said shell providing an open ended chamber therein through which said conveyer passes, and heating members within said chamber above and below the said conveyer for heating the material to drive the moisture therefrom as conveyed under vacuum.

3. A drier comprising a closed shell provided with valve controlled material feed and discharge passages, means-for maintaining a vacuum within said shell, a plurality of open mesh superimposed endless flexible conveyers within said shell extending longitudinally thereof, means for feeding the'material to be treated to the uppermost conveyer, means for operating succeeding conveyers in opposite directions whereby the material supplied to the uppermost conveyer is deposited by the movement thereof onto the conveyer immediately below the same, bafile plates providing an open ended chamber surrounding each of said conveyers, and heating members within said chambers for heating the material to drive the moisture therefrom as conveyed under vacuum.

4.. A drier comprising a closed shell provided with valve controlled material feed and discharge passages, means for maintaining a vacuum within said shell, a plurality of open mesh superimposed endless flexible conveyers within said shell extending longitudinally thereof, means for supporting the conveyers intermediate the ends thereof, devices carried by said supporting means for projecting through the conveyers to maintain the material thereon in agitation during the conveying thereof, means for feeding the material to be treated to the uppermost conveyer, means for operating succeeding conveyers in opposite directions whereby the material supplied to the uppermost conveyer is deposited by the I movement thereof onto the conveyer immediately below the same, bafile plates providing an open ended chamber surrounding each of said conveyers, and heatin members within said chambers for heatlng the material to drive the moisture therefrom as maintained under agitation and conveyed under vacuum.

5. A drier comprising a-closed shell provided with valve controlled material feed and discharge passages, means connected with said shell for maintaining a vacuum therein, a frame removably positioned within said shell, an endless conveyer of flexible open mesh material carried by said frame and onto which the material as fed into said shell is deposited, means carried by said frame for operating said conveyer, bafiies carried by said frame and providing an open ended chamber through which said conveyer operates, heating members within said chamber for heating the material as conveyed therethrough under vacuum, said frame being capable of removal from within said shell.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' THOMAS W. W. FORREST.

Witnesses:

HARRY A. Town, D. B. RICHARDS. 

